Dry transfer products (typically referred to as decalcomanias) are well known in the art. Such products are composed of a carrier film screen printed with graphic designs i.e., lettering, craft art, logos, tole painting, signage, symbols, etc., and subsequently adhesived and protected with a silicone coated release paper. The decalcomania is transferred to the intended receiving surface by removing the protective silicone coated release paper and positioning the decalcomania with the adhesive side against the receiving surface and contacting the adhesive by burnishing the carrier film on the opposite side and slowly peeling away the carrier film leaving only the screen ink formed decalcomania attached to the receiving surface.
Decalcomanias are presently manufactured using solvent based screen inks and adhesives.
An example of the above described prior art process is exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,847,725 wherein use of a carrier film, solvent base ink and adhesives are taught. This patent describes a single color decalcomania whereas it also applies to spot and halftone screen printing.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,847,725 describes a carrier film coated with a non-extensible highly cross-linked polymeric coating that is insoluble to organic solvents; a solvent/resin evaporative ink and a solvent/elastomeric low tack solvent evaporative pressure sensitive adhesive.
In summary all previously described art teaches a carrier film with a no-stick surface coating, a solvent evaporative ink that will release from the no-stick surface and a solvent evaporative pressure sensitive adhesive that will aid transfer and bond the indica to the receiving surface.
Such processes necessarily require special efforts and compliance to OSHA and DEP regulations when handling solvent base inks and adhesives. For example, OSHA requires proper labeling and handling for employee health and accident safety and DEP requires special permitting and annual reporting of the solvent emissions, called volatile organic compounds or (VOC's). If emissions exceed "low quantity generator status" an expensive solvent oxidizer installation will be required to process the VOC's before discharging them to the atmosphere.
The present invention eliminates the following disadvantages of using solvent evaporative inks:
1. Atmosphere pollution from solvent VOC's. PA1 2. Time consuming and complicated solvent emission reporting to the DEP. PA1 3. Implementing and auditing OSHA required safety procedures for solvent inks and adhesives. PA1 4. Solvent evaporative ink tend to dry in the screens and require washing out every 100-500 sheets resulting in costly loss in production efficiency. PA1 5. Cost of expensive drying ovens needed to evaporate the solvents out of the printed screen ink. PA1 6. Drying ovens require valuable manufacturing floor space. PA1 7. Inability to efficiently halftone screen print above 75 lines per inch resolution. PA1 8. Cost of expensive oxidizer to treat the VOC emissions prior to discharge into the atmosphere. PA1 (1) a carrier film; PA1 (2) a non-stick coating applied to the carrier film; PA1 (3) a U.V. curable ink for producing the desired indicia which is applied to the non-stick coating; PA1 (4) a U.V. curable pressure-sensitive adhesive applied over the indicia formed in feature (3); and PA1 (5) a protective release paper or plastic coating.